Here we go!
The sequel...
Thanks to Kathy for her help and for rereading this today to make sure the edits worked
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Did I mention it's done and edited and all unless you guys catch something?!
Thanks!
*~*1*~*
"Did I mention that I hate flying?" Clark said quietly, his head leaning back against the plush seat of the jet.
Lois rested her head against his shoulder. "Really? I would have thought you'd enjoy flying. You're going to take me, you know. I'm going to be homesick in a few days."
"Gladly. I just don't like flying on *planes*. I'm supposed to fly under my own power, not in a metal tube. This is better than the trip here, though. I thought the stewardess was going to have me thrown off or sedated or something."
Lois looked around the cabin. "It *is* pretty nice. Not that I've flown much but..."
"Gramps has got money. When he read about the beating I took from Trask, he insisted on chartering this jet to fly me – and therefore my parents – back. You're just hitching a ride, I guess."
"And you're sure he has room for me to crash at his place until I get settled?"
Clark chuckled lightly. "Yeah, he's got plenty of room. And if you decide you'd rather be in the city..." He leaned over to whisper to her. "...you can always bunk with me there."
Once he'd mentioned his dad was coming to Smallville, Lois had told him that they might have to 'bunk' together since all of the other rooms at the Kent Bed and Breakfast were reserved. When Clark told her that Sam Lane didn't *bunk*, she'd offered her tent and he'd suggested he either take her room or that they bunk together in there. Since then, they'd slept – and only slept – together twice. The first time had led to their first – incredible – kiss.
Lois glanced over to see his parents sound asleep as the jet sliced through the sky. Sam was even snoring softly. "Um, Clark, about that..."
He reached over and took her hand. "What?"
"The whole... bunking thing..."
He kissed the side of her head. "I'm not ready for that either."
"Really?"
"As much as I liked waking up to your beautiful face this week, I'm not pushing for anything more and I won't. I'll stay at my grandpa's house as long as you're there and commute to work. If we stay at my place in the city for whatever reason, I'll take the couch." He gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. "You never did tell me where you slept the last two nights – since I took your room."
She didn't look at him. "Um... I haven't really. I mean, I went out on the porch swing and I dozed some but I haven't really slept."
"Afraid of the nightmares?" he asked softly.
She nodded. "If I don't sleep deeply enough to dream, I can't see him falling off the cliff and morphing into you," she whispered.
"You *had* to do it, Lois. Trask would have killed both of us in a heartbeat. And I'm fine. I'm not completely super again yet but I'm *fine*."
"I know."
He wrapped his arm around her. "We have a couple hours before we land. Why don't you try to get some sleep now?"
She curled up closer to him. "Thanks, Clark."
"I'm right here," he murmured into her hair. "And I won't let the dreams get you."
He thought over the last few days. His reluctance to go to Smallville in the first place. Meeting the beautiful woman now sleeping next to him. Finding himself sleeping with then waking up next to and then kissing her. Spending the day hiding in a small cave in the woods with her. Getting caught. Her saving his life when Trask came after them, fighting with Trask until he finally fell over the cliff. Pulling Lois back up. Smuggling his ship back to the Kents' storm shelter and looking it over for the first time with Lois. Dancing with her. Kissing her. How upset he was when he didn’t think she was going to come back to Metropolis with him.
Seeing her when she got on the plane.
Kissing her until his parents' throat clearing interrupted them.
He kept his arm around her as she slept.
She slept until the wheels touched down on the tarmac in Metropolis and even then she didn't really wake up.
Clark helped her to the limo his grandpa had sent, carrying her more than she walked, but it had pulled up to the foot of the stairs so it wasn't very far. As soon as she was settled in next to him, she was sound asleep again and snoring softly.
"She's tired," his mom said quietly as the car glided out of the airport.
Clark gently stroked the hair at her temple. "She's had a long week. She's still healing. I don't think she'd ever let any of us know how much the line dancing hurt her ankle last night."
"Then why'd she do it?" his dad asked. She'd danced a two-step with him the night before.
"I don’t think she wanted anyone to know how badly she was still hurting or how tired she was. If she kept moving, it wouldn't hit her."
"Has she had any nightmares?" Sam asked.
"That's why we ended up together the other night," Clark told them. "She had a nightmare, knew I was still awake and she came in to talk a bit and we fell asleep."
Ellen raised an eyebrow at him. "And why did you call Mrs. Kent 'Mom'? I mean, I know they're pretty informal and treat their guests like family but..."
Clark looked chagrinned. "Sorry, Mom. I was joking with her. Lois had told me that in Lowell County if a couple sleeps in the same bed, they're considered legally married. Martha and I had joked about it earlier. That's all."
Ellen smiled. "So I have a new daughter-in-law?"
Clark laughed slightly. "Something like that."
The rest of the ride was quiet and, before long, they arrived at Nathan Lane's house in Pittsdale. The car pulled right up to the door. Clark was glad they were on the shaded side of the house so the sun wouldn’t wake Lois as he carried her to one of the spare bedrooms, laying her gently on the bed and covering her up with an extra blanket. She'd murmured something he didn’t quite understand as he placed a soft kiss on her forehead before heading back downstairs.
"How're you feeling?" his dad asked as he sat at the kitchen counter.
"Much better," Clark told him. "I think I'll be completely back to normal by tomorrow. At least I hope so. The sun seemed to help the last couple of days so I may go sit outside for a while."
"Good idea." Sam took a long swig of his iced tea. "I want to look both of you over again later, too."
Clark nodded.
"That black eye is just about gone though."
"I do need to go into Metropolis today," Clark told him. "I need to get some clothes and stuff if I'm going to be staying here for a while."
"How long are you planning on staying?"
Clark turned to see his grandpa walk in the room.
"Hey, Gramps!" He gave his grandpa a big hug. "For a while, if that's okay. Couple weeks."
"You know you're always welcome here, Clarkie." Gramps kept his arm around Clark's shoulders.
"Thanks."
"But what's this I hear about having a friend stay?"
Clark stared at his hands. "Lois. She's from Smallville. She worked with me on the story. She's a great reporter and is hoping Perry might give her a job."
"If she can keep up with you, she's a shoo-in," Gramps said with a chuckle.
"More like the other way around," Clark told him. "If I can keep up with her, I can keep up with anyone."
*****
TBC
